Dilator



June 14, 1932. THOMAS ET AL 1,862,725

DILATOR Filed June '7, 1950 INVENTORS En]: er't Thomas til Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT FFHQ DILATOR Application filed June '7, 1930. Serial No. 459,632.

This invention relates to dilators and has for an object, to provide improved means for actuating the dilator and maintaining it in dilated position.

In dilators heretofore employed, means for locking the dilator in dilating position, have been a rack and pawl, or its equivalent. The use of a rack and pawl, especially in an oral dilator, is very objectionable. In the first place, a rack and pawl does not permit such accuracy of dilation as is conducive to use, but more especially is objectionable in that, with the dilator engaged in the mouth of a patient, the click of the rack and pawl is very annoying to a patient in a nervous condition. It is well known, of course, that such an instrument in the mouth of a patient, multiplies the sound many times over what can be detected by the ear, so that the almost inaudible click is not only clearly audible to the patient, but multiplied as it is, is not only annoying, but tends to increase the nervous condition of the patient.

The invention is not only applicable to such oral dilators, but is obviously applicable to dilators of other types and even to oral dilators of types other than that shown.

The invention comprises pivoted handles with a segment secured to one handle and slidable through the other handle, and a clutching device so associated with the segment, as to permit the noiseless movement of the handles, in the direction for expanding the dilator, but to prevent any retroactive movement, when such complete dilation has been attained.

The invention is directed to other objects and possesses other features of novelty and advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing, will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view of perspective of one type of oral dilator, with the invention forming a part thereof,

Figure 2 is a View of the invention in side elevation,

Figure 3 is a View of the invention, partly in side elevation, and partly in section, and

Figure 4 is a schematic view, showing the clutching operation.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The present invention is adapted to be associated with dilators of various types and for various purposes. As shown in the drawing, it is associated with an oral dila-. tor comprising the jaws 10 and 11, pivoted at 12 and 13. It is believed that no explanation of the use of this type of dilator will be necessary.

The invention comprises handles 14 and 15, which are pivotally interconnected at 13. Oneof the handles, as the handle 15, carries a segment 16 preferably secured thereto by the pivot 17. The pivoting is to avoid the necessity of the otherwise greater accuracy in the Y association of the segments 16, with the handle 15.

The segment 16, passes through a slot 18, in the handle 14, so that as the handles 14 and 15 approach each other, by movement upon their pivot 13, a greater part of the segment l6 protrudes beyond the handle 14.

lVithin the slot 18, is also pivoted at 19, a link 20, to which is pivoted at 21, the clutch bar 22. The clutch 22 is provided with a slot 23, through'which the segment 16 is also mounted to slide. The slot 23 is provided with a corner 24 properly spaced and coacting with the side 25 of the slot 23, so that the corner 24 engages in biting relation the inner a'rcuate edge of the segment 16. To assist and insure this biting engagement, a spring 26 is provided, secured at 27 to the handle 14, and bearing upon the top of the clutch bar 22, as shown more particularly at Figures 2 and 3. The spring 26, as shown, is slotted, and a trigger 28 inserted therethrough. It will be obvious that this slotting of the spring 26 is merely a matter of construction and the spring may be otherwise constructed. The

trigger 28, has a claw 29 which engages the tapered surface 30, of the clutch bar. The trigger extends through a slot 31 of the handle 14, and is pivoted at 32, with a finger hold 33 at the end opposite the claw 29.

' \Vhile the handles 14 and 15 may assume any shape that utility may dictate, they will, when used, in conjunction with an oral dilator, of the type shown, preferably be bent so that the extremities 34 and 35 extend substantially at right angles to the pivoted parts.

In operation, assuming the invention to be associated with the particular type of oral dilator shown, the jaws 10 and 11 will be closed into contact by pressure upon the finger hold 33 to release the clutch bar 22. The jaws, now being inserted into the month, are expanded by pressure exerted upon the handles 34 and 35, moving the handles 14: and 15 toward each other, and therewith moving the jaw members 10 and 11 apart. hen the limit of dilation has been reached, the clutch bar 22 will automatically engage its corner 24 against the segment 16, and maintain such dilation.

\Vhen the dilation is to be relieved, the finger is pressed upon the finger hold 33, thereby moving the clutch bar to the position shown in dotted lines at Figure 4, which releases the corner 24 from biting engagement with the segment 16, whereupon the handles 14 and 15 may easily separate by pressure exerted upon the jaws 10 and 11.

Of course, the dilator, herein illustrated, may be modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein set forth and hereinafter claimed.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows 1. A dilator comprising pivoted handles, a segment carried by one handle and inserted through a slot in the other handle, and means pivoted to the last mentioned handle by spaced coacting pivots for bitingly engaging the segment at any position.

2. A dilator comprising pivoted handles, a segment carried by one handle and slidably inserted through a slot in the other handle, a clutch member pivotally connected'with the last mentioned handle by spaced coacting pivots and having a slot embracing the segment, said slot embodying a corner adapted tgbitingly engage the segment, and means to release the engagement.

3. A dilator comprising pivoted handles, a segment carried by one handle and slidably inserted through a slot in the other handle, a slotted clutch bar slidable upon the segment and pivoted to the last mentioned handle, and means providing longitudinal and oscillating movement to cause said clutch bar to bitingly engage the'segment within its slot.

4. A dilator comprising pivoted handles, a segment carried by one handle and slidably inserted through an orifice in the other handle, a slotted clutch bar slidable upon the segment intermediate the handles, said slot defined by a shoulder adapted to make biting engagement with the segment, means providing longitudinal movement of the clutch bar and means to manually release the engagement.

5. A dilator comprising pivoted handles, a segment carried by one handle slidably inserted through an orifice in the other handle, a link pivoted to said last mentioned handle, a slotted clutch bar pivoted to the link and slidably embracing the segment, said slot being proportioned to provide a shoulder adapted for biting engagement with the segment, a spring tending to hold said clutch bar in such biting engagement, and manual means for releasing the biting engagement. 6. A dilator comprising pivoted handles,

a segment carried by one handle and passing through an orifice in the other handle, a link pivoted in said orifice, a slotted clutch bar pivoted to such link, a segment embraced by the slot of the clutch bar and pivoted to the handles, said slot being pro ortioned to provide a corner adapted to malie bitin engagement with the inner arcuate edge 0% the segment, and a trigger pivoted to one handle tending 'to transmit manual pressure to release the biting engagement.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

ROBERT THOMAS. WVILLIAM THOMAS. 

